The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as fingered the Police Service Commission (PSC) that the 2022/23 Recruitment of Constables conducted by the commission is marred by massive alleged irregularities, and corruption as the list is flooded with names of non-applicants.
In a statement on Saturday, 15th June 2024 signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in Abuja explained that the recently released names of successful candidates in the ongoing 2022/23 Police Constables Recruitment Exercise were marred with several abnormalities.
He reiterated that there were series of complaints and allegations of corruption raised by unsuspecting candidates and stakeholders on the irregularities most especially the disappearance of the names of screened candidates who were successful to the last stage.
ACP Adejobi in clear terms added that “a scrutiny of the list released on the PSC portal, it was discovered that several names of persons purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise.
Also, “the published list contains several names of candidates who failed either the Computer Based Test (CBT) or the physical screening exercise or both; there are those who made it to the last stage of the exercise but were disqualified having been found Medically unfit through the standardised medical test but who also made the list of successful candidates as published by the PSC.”
The police image maker further stated that the most worrisome is the allegation of financial dealings and corrupt practices leading to the outcome where unqualified and untrainable individuals have been shortlisted.
In view of this, the Inspector General of Police had on 10th June 2024 written a letter of objection to the list addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, citing the discoveries listed above, noting that the reaction of the IGP was without prejudice to the power of the Commission to recruit for the police as ruled by the Supreme Court but this power does not include the power to recruit unqualified and untrained individuals for the police.
Adejobi observed that in all of these shortcomings, “it is the police that bears the brunt of recruitment of unqualified individuals and not the PSC. The same people who recruited anyhow for the police today will turn round to accuse the police tomorrow of inefficiency when their recruits start messing up.
Spokesperson Adejobi further stated that “The Police, therefore, has since dissociated itself from the published list and called for a review that will be transparent and credible.
It would be recalled that the leadership of the Police Service Commission, after the pronouncement of the Supreme Court ruling on the powers of the Commission to recruit for the Police, constituted a Joint Recruitment Board, to be headed by one of the Commissioners of the PSC, with the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Training and Development in the Police Force as its Secretary.
“But surprisingly, the Board was crippled and never allowed to carry out its mandate, insomuch that even the final list was not consented to by the Board.
“The Nigeria Police Force, therefore, takes exception to this unpleasant development and calls for a total review of the process with a view to recruiting qualified, competent, trainable and productive hands into the Nigeria Police Force, in line with the vision of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led administration on police reform.
“The NPF, hereby, reiterates that we are not unconcerned about the plights and ordeals of prospective recruits, who have been subjected to all forms of rigorous screening exercise, assuring that it is our commitment to ensure that the process is thoroughly reviewed, stands fruitful and successful for the betterment of the Nigeria Police, and by extension the country,” ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
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